puppies inside: FLD Axel

Showing posts with label FLD Axel. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Sit, down, around, exam

October 22, 2014

Baraga

It was time to work. Deb led the teams through SIT and DOWN exercises that become progressively more difficult. I handed FLD Henry off to Corey so I could concentrate on taking photos.

A man wearing the blue prison uniform and a blue jacekt and navy blue knit cap is sitting with his forearms on his knees. He is smiling and leaning slightly forward toward a yellow lab/golden retriever mix puppy that is sitting in front of him, facing him. The puppy is wearing the baby blue Future Leader Dog "working" jacket. There are other men just out of view on either side of the photo.

FLD Henry is focused on Corey, who seems pretty happy to work with the pup.

An african american man wearing the blue prison uniform with a long sleeved white shirt under the short sleeve blue shirt is standing in front of a metal wall. He is looking off to the right and holding the leash to a small chocolate lab in his left hand. The lab is sitting at the man's left side and is looking at the camera.

FLD Hershel holds a nice sit for Brown.

SIT

With no distractions, holding for more than 30 seconds.
With people walking around.
With people greeting the teams.

A man wearing an orange kint cap, salmon colored sweatshirt and blue prison pants is on the left of the photo stretching with his right hand to reach something out of the shot to the left. His left hand is holding the leash to a yellow lab puppy sitting on the tile floor on his left side. The puppy is watching the man. Another man is standing in front of a metal wall on the right. He is wearing the blud prison uniform with his arms at his side. He is holding the leash of a small yellow lab in his left hand. The lab is sitting at the man's left side.

Beano (left) reaches for some extra kibble for FLD Axel when Deb asks the men without puppies to start walking around. FLD Farley (right) sits nicely next to Paul.

At least six men are either walking from left to right or are standing with their puppy sitting on their left side. Two men on the left closest to the camera walking by are wearing green sweatshirts and blue prison pants. An african american man is standing with his small chocolate lab, a man wearing a white shirt and blue prison pants is walking by him. A woman is standing behind him wearing an orange sweatshirt and black pants with a large german shepherd puppy sitting on her left side. Another man wearing the blue prison uniform is walking on the far right side, with an african american man dressed in a white shirt and blue pants standing behind him with a small golden retriever sitting at his left side.

Here come the distractions!

DOWN

With no distractions, holding for more than 30 seconds.
With people walking around.
With people jogging by.

AROUND - without a door. Really? Yep, we can practice "around" even if we don't have a door. (For a description of how we work around, visit this post "Training take 1."

A young black lab is standing on the left, curved slightly behind the legs of an inmate wearing blue prison pants and black shoes. The puppy is looking up at his handler, and is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana.

FLD Eco moves into the "around" position while keeping an eye on his handler.

HANDLER'S EXAM - Each puppy's handler checked eyes, ears, teeth, felt each leg and paw, and ran a brush down its back. Then other team members did the same exam so the puppies get used to other people handling them.

An african american man who is standing is leaning over to a small chocolate lab puppy and his hands are on the puppy's head, checking his teeth. The man is wearing a prison blue uniform with a long sleeve white shirt under the blue shirt, and white shoes.

Brown checks FLD Hershel's teeth during the handler's exam.

A man is standing on the left with his arms at his side looking down. The man is wearing blue prison pants and a blue jacekt with orange stripes, with a white shirt underneath. Another man is standing on the right, leaning over to check the teeth of a yellow lab puppy who is standing between the two men. The man on the right is wearing the blue prison uniform with a long sleeve white shirt under the blue shirt. The man has his hands on the puppy's head and mouth.

FLD Farley leans into his raiser, Steve, while another inmate checks him over.

And just because...

A man wearing blue prison pants and a blue t-shirt is standing on the left with his hands clasped at his waist. He is holding the leash to a young black lab that is sitting on his left side. The man is looking down at the puppy. The puppy is looking toward the camera and is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. Another man is standing next to a metal wall facing right with his legs crossed. He is wearing blue prison pants and a blue jacket with orange stripes. At his feet in front of him is a yellow lab puppy lying on a green mat facing him.

FLD Copo holds a nice sit next to his handler, Black. In the background, FLD Farley lies on his mat in front of his handler, Steve.

A closer shot of the black lab puppy sitting next to the man. The puppy is now looking straight up at the man.

FLD Copo looks up at Black.

Now the man is leaning down with his face close to the nose of the black lab. The lab is reaching to the man's face.

Black leans in for a puppy kiss.

Monday, November 24, 2014

Baraga "stars"

August 14, 2014

Baraga

There were now seven puppies being raised in the Baraga Correctional Facility. Thanks to Tammy, an AKC CGC Approved Evaluator, the four oldest, FLDs Axel, Bear, Copo and Dax, were able to earn an ACK S.T.A.R. Puppy certificate.

As the "star" teams lined up for photographs, the other teams asked to have their pictures taken too. I was happy to oblige.

Here are the S.T.A.R.s...

Four men kneel on one knee on the cement, all are wearing the blue prison pants and white t-shirts. A young yellow lab is sitting between the second and third man, all are looking at the camera. The puppy is wearing a black graduation hat, the blue Future Leader Dog bandana, and a medal around his neck. The men are holding certificates up, and there is a sign that reads "I'm a star" in front of the lab. In the background is a wooden staircase on the left and a white brick building on the right.

TEAM AXEL Baraga has three-man teams with one main raiser and two assistants. From left to right are Doug (who joined the team after Steve was given FLD Farley to raise), Beano (FLD Axel's main raiser), FLD Axel, Mondo, and Steve (who started as Axel's assistant raiser). Steve was on the team when Axel passed the AKC S.T.A.R. test, but he wanted Doug in the photo with the team. "He worked his *** of with Axel," Steve said.

A man wearing blue prison pants and a long-sleeved white t-shirt is squatting in front of a wooden staircase and pointing at the camera with his right hand. He is looking down at a young yellow lab that is sitting on his left side. The lab is wearing a black graduation hat with a yellow tassel, the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and a medal around his neck. There are legs of two other men standing to the right.

Beano points to get FLD Axel to look at the camera.

Two men dressed in blue prison pants and white t-shirts are leaning over a young black lab who is sitting between the legs of the second man. The first man, on the left, is wearing a blue baseball cap. The men are smiling as the second man is putting a black graduation hat on the lab. The lab is also wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and a medal around his neck. There are legs of a third man standing to the right.

Black (left) and Ricky (right) have fun putting the graduation hat on FLD Bear.

Three men are squatting in a row, all are wearing blue prison pants and white t-shirts, the man on the left is wearing a blue baseball cap. the men are holidng up certificates and smiling at the camera. A young black lab is sitting in front of the middle man with a pained expression on his face. He is wearing a black graduation hat and the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and a medal around his nec. There are wood rails from a staircase behind them. The middle man is also holding a sign in front of the lab that reads, "I'm a star."

TEAM BEAR From left to right are Black, Ricky (FLD Bear's main raiser), FLD Bear and P (who is now the main raiser for FLD Gage; Doug has taken his place on Bear's team).

Three men dressed in blue prison uniforms and white t-shirts squat in front of a wooden staircase, holding certificates up. All are looking at the camera. There is a young black lab lying down between the man on the left and the man in the middle. The middle man has his right hand on the lab's back. The lab is wearing a black graduation hat, the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and a medal around his neck, he is looking at the camera. There is a sign lying on the cement in front of the dog that reads, "I'm a star!"

TEAM COPO From left to right are Harvey (FLD Copo's main raiser), FLD Copo, Luke and Keylor.

Three men squat on cement in front of a wooden staircase, they are all wearing the blue prison pants and white t-shirts, and holding certificates up in front of their knees. Between the middle man and the man on the right a young german shepherd is sitting and leaning against the middle man, who has his left arm around the puppy. The puppy is wearing a black graduation hat, the blue Future Leader dog bandana and a medal around his neck, the dog looks like he doesn't like the hat on. A sign is lying in front of the dog, and reads "I'm a star!"

TEAM DAX From left to right is Patrick, Chad (FLD Dax's main raiser), FLD Dax and Kyle. Dax doesn't seem impressed.

And here are the other teams...

Three men squat in front of a wooden staircase wearing blue prison pants, the two men on the left are wearing white t-shirts, the man on the right is wearing the blue prison shirt. In front of the middle man sits a small black lab puppy. Everyone is looking at the camera.

TEAM ECO From left to right are Wayne, James (FLD Eco's main raiser), FLD Eco and Jerod.

Three men are squatting in front of a wooden staircase on the cement, all are wearing blue prison pants and white t-shirts. In front of the middle man is a small yellow lab puppy, who is sitting and looking at the camera. Between the middle man and the man on the right a small yellow lab/golden retriever mix puppy is lying down with his head facing the camera. The man on the right, an african american, is holding the leash to the puppy lying down.

TEAM FARLEY From left to right are Steve (FLD Farley's main raiser), Paul, FLD Farley, FLD Henry (the puppy I'm raising) and Brown.

Three men are squatting in front of a wooden staircase, wearing blue prison pants and white t-shirts. The men in the middle and right are african american. In front of the middle man sits a small golden retriever puppy, who is looking slightly down to the ground, with his leash lying on the ground beside him.

TEAM GAGE From left to right are Mater, P (FLD Gage's main raiser; P started the program as an assistant on FLD Bear's team), FLD Gage and Shearon.

Before leaving, Tammy reminds the men to stay aware of the end goal and purpose of a Leader Dog. Stealing a line from Bev Blanchard, Manager of Canine Development at Leader Dogs for the Blind, she said, "If your grandmother became blind, would you want this dog to be her Leader Dog?"

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Back to Baraga

August 14, 2014

Baraga

Flexibility is a good trait to have when you are a puppy counselor. Our August trip to the UP prisons began with the long drive to Baraga again, instead of starting at the Chippewa Correctional Facility like we usually do. Tammy wanted to head to Baraga first because we would be taking three puppies from Chippewa back to Leader Dogs for the Blind. No need to drag FLDs Sammy, August and Ekco across the UP and back.

A small yellow lab/golden retriever mix puppy is lying in a cubby hole of an end table. He is clearly asleep.The end table is wood with one drawer above the cubby and is situated between two hotel beds.

FLD Henry, my sixth and newest Leader Dog puppy, finds a safe place to take a nap in our hotel room. I picked up the yellow lab/golden retriever mix puppy from Leader Dog on July 25. This was his debut trip to the UP prisons.

As usual, Tammy and I planned the training session during our drive. Each month Leader Dog has topics for all puppy counselors to cover with their puppy-raiser groups, inside or outside. Our topics for August were obedience "stand" and "recall," grooming, and stairs.

The plan was to start the teams off with the relaxation protocol, followed by a series of three recall games, grooming (including ear cleaning), and ladder and bowl exercises designed to help develop confidence on stairs. When we arrived, the men were anxious to show us the demonstration they presented to Deb Donnelly in July when she came in our place.

Fine with us, their demo was tight and impressive.

A man wearing blue prison pants with a white t-shirt is leaning forward with his right arm stretched out in front of a black lab's nose. The man is looking down at the dog. The lab is standing at the man's left side and is looking at the man's open right palm. The lab is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. There are two other men standing behind the first man watching the man and dog. They are wearing blue prison pants and white t-shirts. The man on the left is african american and is wearing glasses, the man on the right is wearing a blue baseballc am and has his hands in his pickets. The are outside in bright sunlight, casting long shadows to the right, and in front of a white brick wall.

Ricky asks FLD Bear to "touch" as P (with FLD Gage) and Black observe.

Two men stand facing left with their puppies at their left side, both are wearing blue prison pants and white t-shirts. The man on the far left has his hands crossed in front of him; his yellow lab puppy is lying on the cement next to him, and wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. The man on the right, closest to the camera is holding his right arm at his waist and looking down at his german shepherd puppy, which is sitting on his left side. The german shepherd is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and is looking at the man's right hand. The man's left hand is at his side holding the dog's leash. The men are in bright sunshine outside of a white brick building. A man is standing in a doorway in the far distance behind the man on the right.

Beano (left), with FLD Axel, stands in line with Chad and FLD Dax. The teams lined up on opposite sides of the yard facing each other.

A line of four men are walking from right to left with puppies at their left side. All men are wearing the blue prison pants with white t-shirts. The man closest to the camera (on the right) is looking down at his yellow lab; the lab is looking up at him. The next two men in line have black labs and the last man has a german shepherd. The men are walking on pavement in bright sunshine in front of a white brick building. There is a dumpster in the background near the building on the left.

The teams loose-leash walk their puppies. The teams opposite will pass by them.

A amall golden retriever puppy is sitting on pavement next to a man's legs, which are clothed in blue prison pants and black shoes. The man's body is not in view, his right hand is reacing to the puppy's mouth, obviously giving the puppy a treat. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. The pair are on pavement in bright sunshine.

FLD Gage, sitting in excellent heel position, demonstrates the soft and proper way to receive a treat.

"Training the Future." The inmate puppy-raising teams of the Baraga Correctional Facility.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Puppy work

June 27, 2014

Baraga

Tammy packs a lot of exercises in her training class. We work on settling with the relaxation protocol, loose leash heeling by "connecting the dots," meet & greets, and ignoring distractions.

We even play a "doctor's waiting room" game, a real-life simulation. Handlers and their puppies enter an imaginary doctor's office. They must maneuver past annoying patients who reach out to pet their puppy, take a seat, and put their puppy under the chair. They are given a clipboard and asked to write their name, their puppy's name and number, and something their puppy has taught them. A rolling cart adds a noisy distraction to a chaotic scene.

At the end of the session Tammy gives the AKC Star Puppy test to teams Axle, Bear, Copo and Dax. Everyone passed!

A young black lab is sitting next to a man's left leg. The only part of the man visible is his legs and part of his body; he is wearing the blue prison uniform. The lab is wearing the blue Futre Leader Dog bandana and is looking up at the man. There is another man wearint the blue prison uniform sitting on a chair in the backgroun with his arms crossed across his knees; his shoulders and head are not in view. There is a wadded up tissue on the carpeted floor on the right side.

FLD Bear looks up at his handler during the relaxation protocol. Notice how he ignores the tissue distraction.

A young german shepherd dog is sitting at the left side of a man standing on the left. The man is wearing a prison blue uniform, his upper body is not in the picture. Beyond the dog are three other men in prison uniforms sitting on chairs. The firs tman is looking at the dog wtih his arms resting on his knees, the second man is leaning back in the chair with his hands folded on his body, the last man is sitting up straight with his hands in his lap. The german shepherd is giving a huge yawn.

Is FLD Dax relaxing, a little stressed, or just bored?

CONNECT THE DOTS - Tammy sets up a course using orange cones at various distances apart. I demo a loose leash walking exercise with FLD Baker. The task is to treat the puppy at each cone, as a reminder to keep the rate of reinforcement high. After my demo, Tammy asks for someone to try it next. Mondo steps up first with FLD Axel.

A low shot of an orange soccer cone (on the left). A small yellow lab puppy is standing on the right looking toward the camera, he is held by a brown leash by a man sitting on a chair behind him. The man is dressed in the blue prison uniform, but his head is out of the picture. Two other men are sitting beyond the cone watching. They also are wearing the blue prison unfiorm. The man on the left is leaning his right elbow on his right knee and his left hand is on his left knee. The man in the middle is african american and is resting his forearms on his knees with his hands clasped.

FLD Farley wants to try.

Three men are standing in a row facing toward the left. They are wearing the blue prison uniforms and each has a black lab puppy sitting on their left side. The puppy in the middle is wearing the light blue "working" jacket, the other tow are wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandanas. A couple of other men are sitting in chairs behind the row.

Teams in line for meet & greet practice.

MEET & GREETS - Tammy has the teams line up on opposite sides of the room, facing each other. Step by step they approach and retreat. Eventually the handlers are able to meet and shake hands in the middle without the puppies reacting.

A man dressed in the blue prison uniform is standing on the left with his hands at his waist holidng the leash of a young yellow lab that is sitting on the man's left side. The man and puppy are looking to the right at another man dressed in the blue prison unfiorm. Ths man is facing the camera but he is bent over looking to the right at a small yellow lab puppy. This man is holding the puppy's leash in his right hand at his right knee. He is reaching toward the puppy with his left hand, holding a treat for the puppy, trying to get its attention. A woman dressed in blue jeans and a light blue t-shirt is standing in the background behind them looking on.

Steve uses a treat to "lure" FLD Farley while Barry and FLD Axel wait patiently for them to approach.

AKC STAR PUPPY


Ricky gives FLD Bear a hug while Black looks on. One of the puppy behaviors in the Star Puppy test is the "owner can hug or hold puppy (depending on size)."

An african american man wearing the blue prison uniform is sitting on a blue chair leaning over and hugging a young black lab puppy. The man is laughing and looking at the camera, his right arm is around the puppy's neck. The puppy is tilting his head up toward the man's face.

P gives FLD Baker a big, happy hug.

A man dressed in the blue prison uniform with a long sleeved white t-shirt under his blue shirt, is sitting on a chair and leaning over toward a german shepherd that is lying on the floor at his feet. The dog is facing left and his left pay is on a stuffed animal, which he is sniffing. The man is reaching to the toy with his right hand and his left forearm is resting on his left knee. A man is sitting to the far right, just out of view.

Chad reaches to take a stuffed toy from FLD Dax. "Give" and "take" is another part of the Star Puppy test.

A man dressed in the blue prison uniform is sitting on the floor on the left, facing away from the camera. Lying on the floor facing the camera is a young black lab puppy. The man is grabbing a stuffed toy in the dog's mouth with his right hand.

Ricky "gives" the stuffed toy to FLD Bear.

A closer shot of the man sitting on the floor, only he has taken the stuffed toy from the dog and is holding it in his right hand away from the puppy. The black lab is now standing up looking at the toy. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and his tail is wagging.

FLD Bear has given the stuffed toy to Ricky, but is still interested in it.

A low, close shot of the head of a small yellow lab puppy lying on his right side on the floor. The puppy's eyes are closed and he is sleeping. Between his front legs is the stuffed toy.

FLD Farley snuggles with the stuffed toy. The men asked to borrow the toy for the month for distraction practice. Later, Steve told Tammy that FLD Farley slept through the night all curled up with the toy.

A floor-level close shot of a small black lab puppy lying on the floor with a white nylabone toy under its front paws. The puppy has his head up looking straight ta the camera. His leash is attached to his blue collar and is off to the right. There are men out of focus in the background.

And just because. FLD Eco is too cute.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Release the tension

May 15, 2014

Baraga

Lunchtime was coming, so we went out to the yard to practice stairs. Tammy challenged the guys to use "release the tension" TAG-teach to help the handler approach the steps with a loose leash. She said that often we unconsciously tighten the leash in anticipation of our puppy rushing. A tight leash only makes things worse.

Tammy gave a little demo with FLD Harper.

A woman wearing blue jeans and a dark blue jacket is standing on the right side, partially out of view. She is holding the leash of a golden retriever with her left hand at her waist. The leash is very tight. The golden is standing at her left side, his held pushing forward against his collar like he is choking. In the background are five men and one woman watching. To the left are a couple of wooden steps.

FLD Harper cannot help but demonstrate an opposition reflex when Tammy tightens his leash. See how he is leaning into his collar? Opposition reflex is "a natural resistance to pressure." When your puppy feels tension on the front of his collar from a tight leash, he will invariably pull harder against it. Before Tammy tightened the leash Harper was walking nicely beside her, the leash hanging in a "J" from his collar.

The same woman is more visible on the right side of the picture. Now her left hand is at her side holding the leash loose, and the golden retriever is sitting at her left side, looking up at her. There are more people in the background. On the left is the wooden stairs up to a platform and down the other side.

Now see the loose leash and FLD Harper's relaxed position? When Tammy released tension on his leash (TAG), he stopped pulling against it. She then asked him to sit while she explained what she wants the men to do in this exercise.

Check out all these loose leashes! (Say that three times in a hurry.)

Taken from an angle from below, a man dressed in the blue prison uniform with a blue stocking cap stands at the top of the wooden stairs. He is holding the leash of a black lab puppy with his left hand. The puppy is sitting on his left side looking at the camera. The man is looking down at the puppy. The puppy is wearing the blue Futurel Leader Dog bandana. There is another man far in the background on the right dressed in blue, in front of a white brick building.

Luke pauses at the top of the stairs and has FLD Copo sit before heading down them. Sometimes asking the puppy to sit first helps to refocus, but it is not a Leader Dog requirement.

An african american man dressed in the blue prison uniform with a blue stocking cap is just stepping onto the wooden stairs. He is holding the leash to a yellow lab puppy with his left hand at his side and looking at the stairs. The puppy is coming up the stairs with the man, looking at the camera with the leash loose. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. There are four men in the background dressed in the prison blue agains a white brick building. The wooden railing and deck of the stairs is on either side and in the foreground of the picture.

Mondo walks up with FLD Axel. Nicely done!

A side shot of a yellow lab puppy and the ligs of a man coming down wooden stairs. The man is wearing prison blue pants, white tennis shoes, and a blue jacket, only visible from the waist down. The man is one step down from the puppy, whose front paws are on the step behind him and his rear paws are on the top landing. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and his leash is loose. A woman's head is visible behing the puppy, she has short white hair and sunglasses. To the left in the background are four or five men dressed in prison blues with a black lab puppy standing by them. The man on the far left is wearing an orange stocking cap.

Mondo and FLD Axel take one step at a time - just like a wedding march!

A small black lab puppy is sitting on the left side of a man dressed in the blue prison uniform. The man is visible only from the waist down. He is holding the puppy's leash lightly in his left hand at his side. The puppy is gazing upward toward the man, and is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. The pair are right in front of a set of wooden stairs, a white brick wall is behind them.

FLD Copo gets ready for a second turn with another team member. Do you think he is focused and ready to go?

A man is standing at the top of a set of wooden stairs. His right hand is on the railing and he is looking down at a yellow lab puppy standing at his left side. The man is holding the dog's leash lightly in his left hand at his side. The puppy is looking toward the man and is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. In the background are seven men and one black lab standing along a white brick building.

Steve and FLD Axel pause before heading down the stairs.

Before our session closed, Black asked me if someone could take a photo of me with FLD Bear and his team. Ricky added, "We'd just like a picture of Bear's original raisers." (I was lucky to have raised Bear for a few weeks before bringing him to Baraga in January.) Although I prefer to be behind the camera, this time I obliged.

A group shot against a white brick wall. Two men are standing against the wall dressed in the blue prison uniforms, the man on the right is wearing a blue baseball cap, Squatting in front of them one the left is a woman with short brown hair wearing blue jeans and a purple zippered sweat shirt. Squatting in front of the standing men on the right is a man dressked in the prison blue uniform with a blue stocking cap and a purple jacket. Sitting between the woman and man is a black lab puppy wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana, he is facing the camera. The man in back on the left is an african american and he is raising his first finger on his right hand up. The man stand on the right is holding his hands at his waist. The woman is resting her right arm on her knee and the man squatting on the right is resting his left forearm on his knee and holding the leash to the puppy.

P and Black stand behind me, FLD Bear and Ricky.

The same group in this picture, but now the man standing on the right in back has his right arm around the african american's neck. The black lab puppy is licking the face of the woman, who is turning her head to the left. The three men are looking at the camera wtih big smiles.

FLD Bear just couldn't resist giving me a lick! His team tells me that every time we come and Bear hears my voice he "goes crazy."

The men talked to me about the things they've learned from raising FLD Bear. Black said, "I have three kids and one grandkid and I've never changed a dirty diaper! Can you believe that?" It was like he couldn't believe he was once that person. "And now you're picking up dog poop," I said.

Ricky said that he'd been in prison since he was 18 years old and listed at least six different programs he's been through. "I've learned more from this guy than from all those programs put together!"

Good job, Bear! I always knew you were special.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Shopping spree

May 15, 2014

Baraga

Now for the surprise. Tammy had handlers and puppies make a line. "You are going shopping!" she said.

At one end of a long lunch table we staged sealed "pay" envelopes - bits of kibble were pennies, small milk bones were dimes, mallow bones were quarters and large milk bones were dollars. Each envelope contained a different amount. Shoppers would take a plastic bag in which to put a balloon, a dog treat and a marker. At the other end of the table was a "cashier" who would charge the shopper $1.72 and deposit the money into a stainless steel dog dish.

Handler's had to manage the pay envelope, the shopping bag and their puppy!

Five men dressed in the prison blue uniforms stand arond a steel lunch table. The man on the left, wearing a blue baseball cap, has his fingertips on the table with a silver stainless steel dog bowl in front of him on the table. The afrcan american man standing opposite him is looking down at a white envelope in his hands. A yellow lab puppy is sitting to his left looking up at him. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana and his leash is hanging on the ground. Three men in the background are watching the dog. There are white plastic shopping bags on the table.

"Cashier" Black waits for Mondo to pay for his goods. FLD Axel sits like he expects to be paid too. Mondo's teammates, Beno and Steve (on the right). watch in the background while next-in-line Harvey shops with FLD Copo.

Two men dressed in the prison blue uniform with blue baseball caps are standing on either side of the end of a steel lunch table. The man on the left is looking down at a stainless steel dog dish whcih he is holding in his hands. The man onthe right is holding a white envelope, reaching into it with his right hand and holding a plastic shopping bag and leash in his left hand. A black lab puppy is sitting on the tile floor next to the man and looking up at the bag. There are other men and puppies in the background.

Black holds the dog-bowl-till while Harvey counts out his dog-treat-cash. FLD Copo looks on. "That will be $1.72, sir," Black says.

The same man is standing to the left with the dog bowl. This time he is looking at a different man standing opposit from the table on the right side. The man on the right is reaching into the white envelope with his left hand. He is standing on the leash of the black lab puppy that is sitting on his left side looking up at him. The puppy is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana. More men are in line in the bacground, and one man on the far right is wallking by smiling at the men standing. There is a white plastic bag on the table.

Ricky is the first handler to figure out that stepping on the leash is an easy way to secure his puppy while counting out his dog-treat-cash. (I "tagged" him for that!) FLD Bear sits nicely at his side.

There are five men sitting on the lunch table stools to the far left. They all wear the prison blue uniforms. The first man has a german shepherd puppy lying at his feet. Two men are standing opposite each side of a long lunch table. The man on the far right is african american and he is holding the leash of a golden retriever puppy, who is standing and facing theman. There are three men in the far background. There are plastic bags on the table and a stainless steel dog dish. There is a wall-sized mural in the background on the left, a paining of a mountain lake scene.

Handler Nico does not have exact change. He gives Black two-dog-treat-dollars and asks for change back. A nervous Black used a marker on his hand to figure the math. FLD Harper wants to know if he can have the change.

The fun wasn't over. After paying for their goods, handlers returned to their seats with their puppies and the other members of their team. Tammy's instructions? Blow up the balloon and draw a face on it.

An african american man dressed in the blue prison uniform draws on an orange balloon with a green marker. He is on the left facing another man dressed in the prison uniform on the right. The man on the right is holding the orang e balloon.and looking down at it.

Mondo and Beno work together to draw a face on their balloon.

A group of five men dressed in the prison blue uniforms are sitting around lunch tables. The african american man in the middle agains the wall that has windows is tying a red ballown. He is looking down at it smiling. Three men around him are looking at him and the fifth man, an african american, is in the back to the far right and looking to the right. A golden retriever puppy is standing with the two men in front and looking eagerly at the red balloon. A large yellow balloon is resting on the table top in the foreground.

Nico has a hard time tying off his balloon. FLD Harper wants to help.

Four men dressed in the prison blue uniforms sit around a lunch table. The man on the right is holding a yellow balloon in his left hand on the table and looking at it. The man on the left has his left elbow on the table and is looking at the balloon. The two men in the background are looking at the camera and smiling.

FLD Dax's team hold up their yellow balloon, but the face is hard to see.

Two men in the prison blue uniforms sit on either side of a lunch table. There are three other men sitting at the table behind them. The man in the front on the right side is holding a green balloon with a face drawn on it and looking at the camera. He is wearing a blue baseball cap. The man on the left in front has his left elbow on the table and his eyes are closed. There are some cups and things on the table between them.

FLD Copo's team hold up their balloon face.

A close shot of three men sitting at a lunch table looking at a black lab puppy who is standing between two of the men. The man on the left is touching the puppy's back with his right hand and smiling down at the puppy. The man in the background in the middle is african american and is looking at the camera. The man on the right is leaning toward the puppy, holding a blue balloon with his left hand, his elbows resting on his knees. The lab has his nose to the balloon, he is wearing the blue Future Leader Dog bandana.

FLD Bear checks out his team's balloon. This team won the face drawing contest. Oh, didn't I tell you it was a contest? FLD Bear got a new Nylabone!

FLD Axel's handler, Steve, remarked that the shopping spree gave him a new appreciation for what outside puppy raisers go through when they are out and about with their Future Leader Dogs. He said it was challenging to handle the bag and the money and everything while still handling the puppy!

Up next...more training in the yard.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Sit, down, around, exam

Monday, November 24, 2014

Baraga "stars"

Saturday, November 22, 2014

Back to Baraga

Sunday, November 9, 2014

Puppy work

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Release the tension

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Shopping spree

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